Heres what it means and how it affects you.
AT&Ts program wasintroduced about two years ago.
Verizons plan,called FreeBeeis much newer.
This sounds like a feature.
In fact, T-Mobile proudly claims its programs are beneficial to the consumer.
Worse yet, Binge On reduces the video quality forallvideo streams, regardless of whether they are included.
The controversy over this movedid not go smoothly.
Why Is It Bad?
Indeed, on the surface, they seem to save customers money.
If companies want to foot the bill for your data usage, whats the big deal?
Net neutrality doesnt just mean thatyounever have to pay for a fast lane.
It means that the services you use dont have to pay extra to reach you.
Over the long term, this is beneficial to everyone, and encourages competition.
But they do charge extra for the services thatarentincluded, if indirectly.
This choice impacts which service you choose to spend your time with.
Weve seen similar things in the smartphone manufacturing world.
That gives Google effective control over Android OEMs, if not explicit control.
It may be as simple as ads for Samsung products not counting towards your data cap.
If youve followed the net neutrality debate,you might recognize this image.
Companies that cant afford good performance dont get it, whether theyre paying in data or dollars.
TheFCC gained more authorityto investigate net neutrality violations last year, but theres a lot to investigate.
File an FCC complaint.Weve gone overhow to file a complaint with the FCC.
It hasnt yet begun an investigation, but complaints may lead to action.
The good news is, speaking out can help!
Illustration by Jim Cooke.
